Nicole Malato (nee Briamonte) of Toms River, NJ, passed away on June 18, 2014, at the CareOne at Wall facility in Wall, NJ. She was 37 years old. A loving mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin and friend, Nicole always put others’ needs and wants ahead of her own. A three-year breast cancer survivor, she used her time and talents to help others fighting the same battle. She created two blogs,
all these things plus one and Stained Glass; published articles in Reader’s Digest and Coping magazine; and wrote and self-published a book, When Life Hands You PINK Lemons: Making the Best of Early Stage Breast Cancer, about her experience so that other women could benefit from what she learned during her journey. She also was an ardent supporter of the Cancer Support Community in Eatontown, NJ, raising money and serving as a featured speaker at events.
Nicole was a woman of great faith, who was involved in her church community. She helped co-found the youth group at Queen of Peace Parish in North Arlington, NJ. She also traveled to Lourdes, France, on a pilgrimage with the Order of Malta in 2013.
Among her favorite things in life were her family and friends, cruises, road trips, walks on the beach, afternoons on her boat, all things Disney, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, country music, the Muppets and Golden Girls marathons on TV.
Professionally, Nicole spent 15 years as a Human Resources professional for a number of companies, including Groundwater & Environmental Services (GES), Schering-Plough, Lockheed Martin IMS, and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ. Most recently, she had been promoted to Senior Human Resources Manager at GES. She held an MBA in Human Resources Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a BA in Organizational Psychology from the College of New Jersey.
Nicole is survived by her husband, Steve; her son, Steven; her mother and father, Jane and Frank Briamonte, Jr.; her brother and sister-in-law, Frank and Erika Briamonte, and their three sons; her brother and sister-in-law, Chris and Eileen Briamonte, and their two daughters; her brother and sister- in-law, Rick and Courtney Briamonte, and their son; and her mother-in-law, Anna Malato.
Visiting for Nicole will be on Friday from 2 until 8 pm at the Armitage and Wiggins Funeral Home, Kearny. Mass will be on Saturday at 10 am in Queen of Peace Church and entombment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, both in North Arlington.